I have never seen this in the oakwood before and I've lived here for 35yrs. At first I thought it was litter from a passing vehicle but then realized it was growing. There are about a dozen of them. Could it be because of the unstable plutonium the Messenger was warning Martian about?

I have never seen this in the oakwood before and I've lived here for 35yrs. At first I thought it was litter from a passing vehicle but then realized it was growing. There are about a dozen of them. Could it be because of the unstable plutonium the Messenger was warning Martian about?

I typed in "Pictures of Weird Fungi" in the google search engine and found Latticed Stinkhorn (Clathrus ruber)

This mushroom is known as the latticed stinkhorn, the basket stinkhorn, or the red cage. These mushrooms can be found growing in leaf litter, on garden soil, grassy places, or in mulches. Though it isn't clear if it is edible, apparently its smell is enough to deter anyone interested in eating it.

I typed in "Pictures of Weird Fungi" in the google search engine and found Latticed Stinkhorn (Clathrus ruber)

This mushroom is known as the latticed stinkhorn, the basket stinkhorn, or the red cage. These mushrooms can be found growing in leaf litter, on garden soil, grassy places, or in mulches. Though it isn't clear if it is edible, apparently its smell is enough to deter anyone interested in eating it.

Thank you for that effort. I will make sure not to touch it and pray the dog doesn't roll on it, unpleasant thing, but interesting with the three rings. The rings only last 48 hours or so and then wither.

Can't say with absolute certainty, but Martian does grow one similar to this, called Hemitrichia serpula, the pretzel slime mold. They're most commonly found on the second moon of Rigel IV, in Orion, but one of his specimens (don't ask how he got it) was blown up in one of his early plutonium experiments and spores went everywhere, and as Earth's climate was agreeable to them, they're now seen in many places here at home.

I have never seen this in the oakwood before and I've lived here for 35yrs. At first I thought it was litter from a passing vehicle but then realized it was growing. There are about a dozen of them. Could it be because of the unstable plutonium the Messenger was warning Martian about?

Can't say with absolute certainty, but Martian does grow one similar to this, called Hemitrichia serpula, the pretzel slime mold. They're most commonly found on the second moon of Rigel IV, in Orion, but one of his specimens (don't ask how he got it) was blown up in one of his early plutonium experiments and spores went everywhere, and as Earth's climate was agreeable to them, they're now seen in many places here at home.